3-deoxy-11,17-oxygenated-androstanes



United 2,881, 188 S-DEOXY-l1,17-OXYGENATED-ANDROSTANES John C. Babcock, Kalamazoo Township, Kalamazoo County, and Arnold C. ()tt, Kalamazoo, Mich., as-

signors to The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Mich.,.

a corporation of Michigan No Drawing. Application July 20, 1955 Serial No. 523,390

4 Claims. (Cl. 260397.3).

wherein R is keto or B-hydroxy and R is keto, B-hydroxy, flhydrocarbonyloxy containing from one to twelve carbon atoms, inclusive, or the combination of a-methyl-B-hydroxy. These compounds, especially androstane-ll,l7- dione, possess a high order of oral anabolic activity and possess. the added advantage of having little or no oral androgenic activity at the same dosage level.

3-deoxy steroids are known in the prior art. See, for example, Kochakian, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. and Med., 80, 386 (1952),, Am. J. Physiol. 158, 51 (1949),. and Inhotfen et al., Ann., 568, 52 (1950). 3-deoxy-11-oxygenated-androstane series steroids are novel however. In view of the marked loss of activity upon the l l-oxygenation, of many hormones, e.g., progesterone to produce llfl-hydroxy or ll-ketoprogesterone, the physiological activity of the ll-oxygenated steroid of the present invention is particularly. surprising; Furthermore, a 3-oxygenated function was heretofore believed vital to the activity ofv ll-oxygenated' steroids. We have now found, however, that the 3-deoxy-I1-oxygenated steroids of the present invention possess marked physiological activity. The etiocholane steroids corresponding to the compounds of the present invention also possess physiological activity; including androgenic and anabolic activity.

The novel compounds of the present inventioncan be produced from a variety of steroids. For example, the 3-benzyl thioenol ether of an ll-keto or llfl-hydroxy progesterone, 11,17-dihydroxy-4-androsten-3-one or 4-androstene-3,11,17-trione can be reduced with de-activated Raney nickel to produce a 3-deoxy compound. The diene system of these 3-deoxy steroids can be hydrogenated to produce the corresponding 3-deoxy saturated steroid. The side chain of the ZO-keto pregnane series steroids, i.e., C steroids, can be removed by oxidation or ozonolysis of the 17(20)-enol ester thereof.

Alternatively, starting with l1B,l7-dihydroxy-androstan-3-one and performing a Wollf-Kischner. reduction oftheS-keto group is productive of a 3-deoxy compound of the present invention.

The 17-hydroxy group of 1113,17fl-androstane can be selectively esterified to produce a l7B-acyloxyandrostane- 11,8-01 wherein the acyl. radical is; preferably the acyl radical of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid containing from one to twelveicarbon atoms, inclusive. The l l-hydroxy group can then. beoxidized with chromic acid, N-bromoacetamide or N-bromosuccinimide to produce a 17fi-acyloxyandrostan-ll-one. 17,8-acetoxyandrostan-1l-one can Patent C Raney nickel. catalyst and 250 milliliters of. acetone was" refluxed for one hour. To the solution was then added 1.8 grams of the 3-benzyl thioenolether of ll-ketoprogesterone (US. Patent 2,698,852) and the mixture was refiuxed for four more hours. The cooled solution was filtered" and the filtrate distilled at reduced pressure until crystallization of the product occurred. The crystalsthusv obtained were recrystallized from a mixture of acetone and heptane to give 11,20-diketo-3,S-pregnadiene melting at 138 to 142 degrees. centigrade. A second crystallization. of. these crystals raised the melting point to- 141.5 to 143 degrees centigrade. This product had an E228 Of an E234,0f an E242 Of an [M of plus-4L degrees in chloroform and the analysis below.

Calculated for (3 11 0 C, 80.73;.H, 9.03. Found: C, 80.59; H", 9.13.

PREPARATION 2 A llopregnane-I 1,20-di0ne A solution of 2.5 grams ofl1,20-diketo-3,S-pregnadiene in milliliters of ethyl acetate containing 1.25 grams of a five percent palladium on charcoal catalyst was shaken in a hydrogen atmosphere. The theoretical uptake was rapid and complete. The: solution was. then filtered andv the filtrate distilled to a small volume and then diluted with methanol until crystallization commenced. Therewas thus obtained 1.72 grams of allopregnane l1,20-dione as plates which melted at 1395 to 141 degrees centigrade,

had an [a] of plus' 122 degrees in chloroform and the analysis below.

Calculatedv for G T-1 0 C, 79.69;.H, 10.19. Found:

A mono-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone: was whichmelted at 209 to 210 degrees centigrade.

EXAMPLE 1 Andfostane-I 1 ,1 7-dione prepared degreescentigrade and then. ozonized'with 4.9 millimoles of ozone. The solutionwas then mixed with fifty milliliters. of. acetic acid. and five grams. ofzinc dust for two hours. The mixture was. filtered and the ethyl acetate solution.- washedwith aqueous sodium bicarbonate and.- then with. water. and. finally dried.v The dry solution was.

evaporated'to dryness leaving a pale yellow oiltwliich was purified by chromatography over a column of Florisil synthetic magnesium silicate: Thecolumn was developed with one liter portions. of: solvents: of. the following composition and. order: five'of. petroleum ether,,one.v of petroleum ether plus 15 percent acetone, one ofpetroleum The residual dark oil of the enol acetate.

ether plus two percent acetone, one of petroleum ether plus 2.5 percent acetone, and one of petroleum ether plus five percent acetone. The petroleum ether plus two percent acetone eluates contained a thin oil which resisted crystallization. This oil was heated with three percent methanolic sodium hydroxide and the mixture was freed of solvent and then mixed with water to give androstane- 11,17-dione which, after crystallization from methanol and water, was obtained as either fiat needles or plates melting at 129 to 129.5 degrees centigrade. These crystals had an [cal of plus 139 degrees in chloroform and the analysis below.

Calculated for CnHgaOg: C, 79.12; H, 9.78. Found: C, 79.67; H, 10.05.

A mono-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone was obtained which melted at 283 to 284 degrees centigrade.

EXAMPLE 2 Andmstane-l 1,9,1 7p-dial To a solution of eighty milligrams of androstane-l1,17- dione in two milliliters of isopropyl alcohol is added a solution of eighty milligrams of sodium borohydride in one milliliter of a 0.1 N solution of aqueous sodium hydroxide. The solution is stirred for four days at 37 degrees centigrade. Any remaining sodium borohydride is decomposed with acetone. The solvent is distilled from the mixture at reduced pressure and the residue extracted with methylene chloride. The methylene chloride is washed with water, dried and the solvent distilled to dryness, leaving a residue consisting essentially of androstane-llfl,l7fi-diol. Crystallization of this product from a mixture of acetone and Skellysolve B hexane hydrocarbons yields essentially pure androstane-11fl,17,6- diol.

EXAMPLE 3 1 7p-acet0xy-androslane-1 113-01 A solution of 100 milligrams of androstane-11,8,17/8- diol in a mixture of one milliliter of acetic anhydride and one millilter of dry pyrdine is maintained at about 25 degrees centgrade for about sixteen hours. The excess acetic anhydride was then decomposed with ice water and the resulting precipitate is extracted with benzene. The benzene solution was washed with cold dilute hydrochloric acid, cold aqueous sodium bicarbonate and finally with water and then dried. The dried benzene solution is evaporated to dryness leaving a residue of 17fi-acetoxyandrostane-l lB-ol.

Similarly, androstane-11B,l7fl-diol is converted to other 17/3-acyloxy-androstane-llfl-ols by esterification of the 17fi-hydroxy group, e.g., by reaction with the appropriate acid anhydride, acid chloride or bromide, ester by ester exchange, acid in the presence of an esterificatiou catalyst, etc. Examples of l7fl-acyloxy-androstane-l lp-ols prepared include those wherein the acyl group is the acyl radical of, for example, a lower-aliphatic acid, e.g., formic, propionic, butyric, isobutyric, valeric, isovaleric, trimethylacetic, Z-methylbutyric, 3-ethylbutyric, hexanoic, diethylacetic, triethylacetic, heptanoic, octanoic, a-ethylisovaleric, cyclopropylideneacetic, a cycloaliphatie acid, e.g., cyclopentylformic, cyclopentylacetic, fl-cyclopentylpropionic, cyclohexylformic, cyclohexylacetic, ,S-cyclohexylpropionic, an aryl or alkaryl acid, e.g., benzoic, 2, 3, or 4-methyibenzoic, 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 2.6-, 3,4- and 3,5dimethylbenzoic, ethylbenzoic, 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoic, 2,4,6-triethylbenzoic, a-naphthoic, 3-methyl-a-naphthoic, an aralkyl acid, e.g., phe'nylacetic, phenylpropionic, diphenylacetic, triphenylacetic, etc., or a dibasic acid (which can be converted to water soluble, e.g., sodium, salts), e.g., succinic, glutaric, a-methylglutaric, p-methylglutarie, fi,p-dimethylglutaric, adipic, pimelic, suberic, etc.

EXAMPLE 4 1 7p-acemxy-androslane-I I -one To a solution of eighty milligrams of l7p-acetoxyandrostane-llfl-ol and 0.2 milliliter of pyridine in 7.5 milliliters of tertiary butyl alcohol is added fifty milligrams of N-bromoactamide. The mixture is maintained at room temperature for sixteen hours and then diluted with five milliliters of water containing fifty milligrams of sodium sulfite. The tertiary butyl alcohol was then distilled from the mixture and the residue dissolved in methylene chloride. The methylene chloride solution is washed with water, dried and the solvent distilled at reduced pressure to leave a residue of 17B-acetoxy-androstane-l l-one.

Saponification of 17 3-acetoxy-androstane-1l-one with a molar equivalent excess of sodium bicarbonate in a mixture of methanol and water or sodium hydroxide in a mixture of acetone and water is productive of 17fl-hydroxy-androstane-ll-one.

EXAMPLE 5 1IB-hydmxy-androstaneJ7-one Following the procedure of Preparation 1 exactly, but substituting an equivalent molar amount of the 3-benzyl thioenol ether of 11fi-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,l7-dione for the 3-benzyl thioenol ether of ll-ketoprogesterone as the starting steroid, there is thus produced 1lfi-hydroxy-3,5- androstadien-l7-one. Hydrogcnating 1lp-hydroxy-3,5- androstadien-l7-one in exactly the manner described in Preparation 2 is productive of 1lB-hydroxy-androstan-17- one.

EXAMPLE 6 A solution of methyl magnesium iodide is prepared by reacting one gram of methyl iodide with 290 milligrams of magnesium in twenty milliliters of anhydrous ether. To this solution is added dropwise a solution of 500 milligrams of 1lfi-hydroxy-androstane-l7-one in a mixture of thirty milliliters of ether and twelve milliliters of benzene. The mixture is stirred in a nitrogen atmosphere for seven hours and then decomposed by the dropwise addition of a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride. The solution is decanted from the inorganic precipitate, dried and then evaporated to dryness, to leave a re.idue consisting essentially of 17a-methyl-androslane-llB,l7fl-diol. Chromatography of this product over a column of Florisil synthetic magnesium silicate is productive of substantially pure product.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of operation or exact compounds shown and described as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim: 1. 3-deoxy-1 1,17-oxygenated-androstanes represented by 7 the following formula:

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. 3-DEOXY-11,17-OXYGENATED-ANDROSTANES REPRESENTED BY THE FOLLOWEING FORMULA: 